Reported Speech 2_ Nguyễn Trọng Long

09/18/13 Nguyễn Trọng Long: tronglongnguyen@yah oo.com Reported Speech What is it? How do you use it? Yesterday, I saw my friend Pamela! She told me that she got a promotion! 09/18/13 Nguyễn Trọng Long: tronglongnguyen@yah oo.com Reported Speech is the grammar we use when we want to tell another person about a conversation that took place in the past. We often use reported speech to . . . 1. Give someone a telephone message: Example: Example: Ellen said she couldn’t come today because… 2. Tell someone news that we heard from someone else: Example: Example: Tom told me that he and Karen got engaged! 3. To report something that happened: Example: Example: Sam said that the other driver wasn’t paying attention and hit his car. 09/18/13 Nguyễn Trọng Long: tronglongnguyen@yah oo.com How to use reported speech: When we use reported speech, we are usually talking about the past. Therefore, verbs usually change to the past tense in reported speech. 09/18/13 Nguyễn Trọng Long: tronglongnguyen@yah oo.com am / is become was are becomes were have / has become had can / can’t become could couldn’t will / won’t become would wouldn’t 09/18/13 Nguyễn Trọng Long: tronglongnguyen@yah oo.com Reported speech typically uses the following structure: Someone said (that) … Sentence, past OR Someone told me (that) … Sentence,past However, in English, you can NEVER say Someone said me . . . 09/18/13 Nguyễn Trọng Long: tronglongnguyen@yah oo.com Examples of reporting Examples of reporting what someone what someone said . . . said . . . I talked to Sandra yesterday. She was telling me about her job. Her job is quite stressful. Sandra said: “I’m not happy at my job anymore. I think I’ll quit.” 09/18/13 Nguyễn Trọng Long: tronglongnguyen@yah oo.com Sandra said, “I’m not happy at my job anymore. I think I’ll quit. Now you want to tell someone else what Sandra said. In this situation, it’s natural to use reported speech: reported speech: You can say: Sandra told me that she happy at her job anymore and she she quit. 09/18/13 Nguyễn Trọng Long: tronglongnguyen@yah oo.com When a person told you something in the past tense, you can use either the past tense or the past perfect after the “said” phrase. Example Example : : Tim said: “I worked really hard today.” past tense past tense past perfect tense past perfect tense 09/18/13 Nguyễn Trọng Long: tronglongnguyen@yah oo.com You will hear native speakers use both the past and past perfect in this situation; However, it’s much easier to just put everything in the simple past tense when using reported speech, so . . . 09/18/13 Nguyễn Trọng Long: tronglongnguyen@yah oo.com Examples for practice: Examples for practice: 1. Shawn said: “I don’t feel like going to the movies tonight.” Reported speech: Shawn said that he didn’t feel like going to the movies tonight. 2. Tina said: “My sister is coming to visit me soon.” Reported speech: Tina told me that her sister was coming to visit her soon. [...]... available for your students.” Reported speech: The counselor said that she would always be available for my students 4 The students said: “We want to do oral presentations in class so we can practice speaking more Reported speech: The students told me that they wanted to do oral presentations so they could speaking more 09/18/13 Nguyễn Trọng Long: practice Do you understand reported speech better NOW than... more 09/18/13 Nguyễn Trọng Long: practice Do you understand reported speech better NOW than you did BEFORE? BEFORE Congratulations! Keep practicing!!! And please ask if you need 09/18/13 Nguyễn assistance !Trọng Long: . attention and hit his car. 09/18/13 Nguyễn Trọng Long: tronglongnguyen@yah oo.com How to use reported speech: When we use reported speech, we are usually talking. use reported speech: reported speech: You can say: Sandra told me that she happy at her job anymore and she she quit. 09/18/13 Nguyễn Trọng Long: tronglongnguyen@yah